WITH
A tricky course designed by Brendan Duffy at the Galway County Show
testing many riders to the limit, there were only five horses through
to the Grand Prix jump-off today (Sunday) in the Galway sunshine,
and only one double clear round at the finish.

A
win by Lt. David O'Brien on the Minister for Defence's <Carraig
Dubh> brought the Army Rider into the Top Six in the Kerrygold
League rankings for the first time.

He
said: <<I am delighted with the double clear. I thought the
ground was slightly holding, and so I was under some pressure, finding
it hard to jump, but in the end he delivered the goods. I'm also
delighted to be in the Top Six of the rankings, and I thought the
atmosphere here today was tremendous.>>

Many
riders fell foul of the related distance at fence 7 and 8, and the
long combination coming up to the finish posed a problem of stamina
for tiring horses and riders.

Danielle
Quinlivan slotted into Sixth today, as the fastest of the first-round
four-faulters.

The
result of the Galway show does not challenge Clem McMahon's lead
in the rankings, though it may have been the last thing on his mind
today as he helped the Irish team to victory at Hamina in Finland,
in his Nations Cup debut.